Coastguard leads way into new safety system

The 16 vessels of Coastguard New Zealand’s Southern Region are now covered by Maritime NZ’s new Maritime Operator Safety System (MOSS).

MOSS, introduced last year by Maritime NZ, is designed to improve safety in the commercial maritime sector. It requires operators to develop a safety system that covers not only their vessels, but their entire operation. Around 1700 commercial operators will transition into MOSS by 2018 – to date, 500 operators have entered MOSS or begun the entry process.

MOSS puts the emphasis on establishing clear lines of responsibility for the day-to-day safe operation of vessels, beyond ensuring their seaworthiness. Previously, Safe Ship Management companies had delegated responsibility for managing safety plans for maritime operators. Now operators work directly with Maritime NZ.

Maritime NZ Director Keith Manch said: “MOSS is a considerable change for operators, as it is for Maritime NZ, and I commend Coastguard New Zealand for the way they have approached this move.

“We appreciate that for an organisation like Coastguard New Zealand – which operates multiple vessels in multiple locations, with a large number of volunteers – it has added pressure on top of their workload, but this is an excellent result.”

Coastguard NZ chief executive Patrick Holmes said entering MOSS had resulted in better processes and understanding of how safety is managed in the organisation.

“We are in a much stronger place than we were two years ago. The systems and processes that MOSS incorporates ensure we have a clear view of all our assets and equipment and how they are serviced and maintained. We’ve got that big picture view which has been challenging for us to achieve in the past.” he said.

“Our Northern, Eastern and Central regions, comprising a further 60 vessels, will move into MOSS over the next 12-18 months. I think being in MOSS will also help when we transition into the new health and safety legislation.”